Not sure how it is in other businesses, but radio people are known for telling great stories of how they got hired, and fired, and any number of adventures they experienced in between. This week, we’ll hear how 2 of WHAM’s reporters and anchors would up behind our microphones. First, Tom Badger tells us how he walked into a job at WHAM (quite literally). Then, Bill Lowe will guide us through the journey that brought him to Rochester.

One of WHAM's most popular programs was a serialized drama - True Stories of the New York State Police. The weekly show was taken from actual case files. Recordings of the show have, unfortunately, been lost to time. This BONUS EPISODE was performed in February of 1982, using the original script from a show that first aired in July of 1949, near the end of the program's 15 year run. Special thanks to Jeff Rolick for providing the audio.

Radio was a brand-new medium when WHAM signed on in 1922. With nothing to compare it to, the task of “making it all work” fell to a pioneer of radio broadcasting, Bill Fay. In this episode, we’ll hear excerpts from an interview Bill did in 1970 with stories of WHAM’s early years.
Then we’ll talk with Jack Palvino, the last local owner/manager to leave a mark on WHAM’s programming and sound.
Jack Palvino’s book – ON THE AIR – is out of print – but some copies can be found on Amazon:
On The Air: JackPalvino: 9789941905469: Amazon.com: Books

On the debut episode of this podcast series, I was only able to feature a portion of my conversation with Scott Fybush about the history of radio in Rochester. So in this BONUS EPISODE, here is the entire talk I had with Scott where he discusses the larger landscape of the local industry from the earliest days to our modern era.

All great stories have to start somewhere. Radio historian Scott Fybush leads us through the foundation of WHAM and its early years on the air. Scott details the players involved in Rochester radio’s foundation and how WHAM quickly rose to a position of prominence.
Did George Eastman come up with the idea for using WHAM as the station call letters? Or was is just luck of the draw? Seems like the station was in the right place at the right time to get its signature name (myth debunked!)
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-338239A1.pdf
To see more from Scott Fybush:
www.fybush.com

Beginning January 5th, host Joe Lomonaco kicks off a year long celebration of WHAM's 100th birthday. Subscribe now to WHAM @ 100: An Oral History. New episodes drop every Wednesday.